New Hampshire HB 1560: relative to annual motor vehicle inspection standards and reinstatement.

Bill Text

HB 1560-FN - AS INTRODUCED

2026 SESSION

 26-2308

 06/08

HOUSE BILL 1560-FN

AN ACT relative to annual motor vehicle inspection standards and reinstatement.

SPONSORS: Rep. Leishman, Hills. 33; Rep. Grote, Rock. 24; Rep. Cloutier, Sull. 6

COMMITTEE: Transportation

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ANALYSIS

 This bill reenacts the motor vehicle inspection standards that were repealed in 2025, 141:254-256.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

 26-2308

 06/08

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT relative to annual motor vehicle inspection standards and reinstatement.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Administrative Review of Sanctions Against Inspections Stations. RSA 260:6-a is reenacted to read as follows:

 260:6-a Administrative Review of Sanctions Against Inspection Stations. In all cases in which a sanction is imposed by a hearings officer against an official inspection station for violation of the rules relative to inspection stations and the sanction involves a loss of inspection privileges for a period of greater than 20 days, any party aggrieved by the decision may, prior to seeking the remedies provided in RSA 541, request administrative review of the decision by the commissioner or his designee. The commissioner or his designee shall affirm or modify such sanction as justice may require. 

 2 Point System for Automobile Dealer and Inspection Station Violations. RSA 260:6-b is reenacted to read as follows:

 260:6-b Point System for Automobile Dealer and Inspection Station Violations. 

 I. The director of motor vehicles may adopt rules pursuant to RSA 260:5 to establish 2 different uniform point systems for separately identifying automobile dealers and inspection stations that have violated the provisions of this title or rules adopted under this title. The rules shall include a designated level of point accumulation that so identifies automobile dealers and inspection stations. 

 II. The director may assess points for violations of this title or rules adopted pursuant to this title that have been found by a court of law or a hearing officer to have been violated. Notice of the assessment of points shall be given in accordance with the rules adopted by the director. 

 III. In the case of a conviction or finding against a dealer or inspection station of 2 or more violations committed on a single occasion, such dealer or inspection station shall be assessed points for one offense only, under each separate point system if the same entity holds both a dealer's registration, license, or privileges, and inspection station privileges. If the offenses have different point values, the dealer or inspection station shall be assessed for the offense having the greater point value. 

 IV. The director may suspend or revoke the dealer's registration, license, or privileges, or in the case of an inspection station the inspection station privileges, in accordance with the rules adopted under this section. The rules shall provide a mechanism for reduction of points for a dealer or inspection station that has completed a training course approved by the director. 

 V. The director may distinguish between larger and smaller dealers and inspection stations in establishing the point system. For the purposes of the point system established under this section, an inspection station may not be liable for violations committed by an individual mechanic if the mechanic deliberately commits an action that is contrary to the law, the rules of the department, or the policies and procedures of the station. 

 VI. Both point systems authorized under this section shall only count points for violations committed within the 3 most recent calendar years and shall only count violations that are committed on or after the effective date of the rules adopted under this section. 

 3 Inspection Authorized. RSA 266:1 is reenacted to read as follows:

 266:1 Inspection Authorized. 

 I. The director may require the inspection of any vehicle, except an OHRV, snowmobile, moped, roadable aircraft, or any other vehicle exempted under this chapter, to determine whether it is fit to be driven. Such inspection shall be made at such times and in such manner as the director may specify, subject to the requirements set forth in this section. 

 II. Any vehicle registered under this title, except an OHRV, snowmobile, moped, roadable aircraft, or other exempt vehicle, shall be inspected once a year, during the month in which the birth date of the owner is observed, if th